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Grand Rapids Community College and Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids will receive money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop programs to train disadvantaged workers for green energy jobs.

Among the recipients is Grand Rapids Community College, which will receive $4 million for training unemployed workers, high school dropouts and people with a criminal record, US. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Soliz announced Wednesday.

Training will be offered for jobs in energy-efficient building construction and retrofitting, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green facilities management and advanced battery manufacturing.

The grants are part of $150 million awarded to 38 colleges and other training entities across the U.S. under the “Pathways Out of Poverty” program funded by the program.

Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids Inc. is one of six related organizations slated to share in a $7.3 million grant awarded to Goodwill Industries International. That grant is aimed at people with disabilities, the chronically unemployed, ex-offenders, older workers, the homeless and high school dropouts.

GRCC intends to integrate existing and new programs for education, job training, placement, retention and support services, according to a statement. GRCC will help people obtain their GEDs and provide adult basic education, English As A Second Language and employability courses, as well as specific training for green energy jobs.

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